Episode 1: Diving Right In

 

Episode 1 from The Must Stash Girls on Vimeo.

Show Notes

First, Steph and Stacie want to give a big shout-out and say "Thank you" to all our friends, new and old, who left comments and feedback about our podcast. We appreciate each and every one of you so please keep the feedback coming! 

We want to give a special "Thank you" to Laura Linneman (LaLa) from The Knit Girllls. She has been a tremendous help to us in getting our feet wet in the podcasting world.

Knitting:

Stacie is working on:

• Pomme de Pin cardigan by Amy Christoffers using a natural 100% merino 2-ply sport weight yarn from Kai Mohair Ranch. Project Page

• Just Yer Basic Sport Sock by Alyson Johnson using Knit Picks Felici Sport in the Recess colorway. Project Page

Steph is working on:

• #17 Man’s Cable Cardigan by Josh Bennet using Cascade Ecological Wool in the Ebony colorway. Project Page.

• New York Cardigan by Erin Harper using Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool in colorway #50. Project Page

• Jaywalker socks by Grumperina using Little Monkey’s Stitch ‘n Spin sock yarn in the Macaw colorway. Project Page.

Both Steph and Stacie are each knitting an afghan strip for a charity blanket with their local knitting group. The pattern is Knit Textured Afghan by Bernat. The finished afghan will be sent off to an orphan graduating from Maryvale Orphanage.

Spinning:

Stacie managed to get a teeny bit more done on her Loop Bullseye batt in the Terra Cotta colorway.

Steph finished spinning her Western Sky Knits 85% Polwarth and 15% Tussah silk in the Azaleas colorway. Final yarn weighed in at 4 oz and was 417 yards and she *hearts* it very much.

Next Up:

Stacie is planning to spin a braid from The Droll Eclectic in the "Other Duties as Assigned" colorway. Steph will start her 2nd braid from Natural Obsessions.

Stacie's next sweater will be the Bláithín which she will knit with Classic Elite Portland Tweed.

March will be our "Month of Socks". Stacie might do Skew with her Kraemer Yarns Sterling Silk & Silver. Steph may use her WSK handspun to knit Marlene or perhaps Pomatomus. The Fruit Loop pattern also intrigues her.

Question for our viewers:

How do you manage your spinning projects on Ravelry? Do you use your stash page? Start a project page? Must Stash Podcast wants to know!

Loose Ends:

We're learning as we go as we embark on this new journey. If you have any advice or suggestions, especially when it comes to hosting and iTunes, we'd love to hear from you! We plan on producing an episode every 2 weeks from here on out. We do have a donation button on the blog; donations are not necessary but are very much appreciated and go to help pay for production costs. We have some super cool buttons coming our way that we plan on giving in return for donations of $10 or more.

Miscellaneous:

Stacie was wearing her Color Affection (Veera Välimäki pattern).

Steph was wearing her Ishbel (Ysolda Teague pattern).



Find us at:

Twitter: MustStashSheep & SeeStephKnit
Plurk: Must_Stash & SupaSteph
Google+: Stacie Freeflower & Supa Steph
Ravelry: Freeflower & SupaSteph
Facebook: Must Stash Emporium
Instagram: MustStashSheep
Ravelry: Must Stash Podcast Group

Episode 0: Practice

EPISODE 0: PRACTICE

Please remember it's called "Episode 00 - Practice" for a reason. We didn't anticipate making this episode public, but Stacie worked so very hard at editing it, it would be a shame to keep this from you all! Enjoy!

Episode 00: Practice from The Must Stash Girls on Vimeo.

Show Notes

Knitting:

Stacie is working on:

• Pomme de Pin cardigan by Amy Christoffers using a natural 100% merino 2-ply sport weight yarn from Kai Mohair Ranch and size 5 needles. Project Page. 

• Trousseau by Carol Feller using Vice Covet and size 7 needles. Project Page.

• Tibetan Clouds Beaded Stole by Sivia Harding using Lorna’s Laces Helen’s Lace Solid in the Satsuma colorway and using size 5 needles. Project Page.

Steph is working on:

• #17 Man’s Cable Cardigan by Josh Bennet using size 5 needles and Cascade Ecological Wool in the Ebony colorway.  Project Page.               

• Oregon Coast cardigan by Jenise Reid using size 6 needles and JaggerSpun Zephyr Wool-Silk in the Mushroom colorway. Project Page.

• Jaywalker socks by Grumperina using Little Monkey’s Stitch ‘n Spin sock yarn in the Macaw colorway and using size 0 needles. Project Page.

Both Steph and Stacie are each knitting an afghan strip for charity. The pattern  is Knit Textured Afghan by Bernat. The finished afghan will be sent off to an orphan graduating from Maryvale Orphanage.

Spinning:

Steph is currently spinning Western Sky Knits 85% Polwarth and 15% Tussah silk in the Azaleas colorway. She is hoping for a 2-ply fingering weight-ish and is spinning the singles counter clockwise.

Stacie is currently spinning a Loop Bullseye batt in the Terra Cotta colorway. She is spinning thicker than she normally does and will probably N-ply it; she is using her WooLee Winder gifted to her by her wonderful husband.

Also Mentioned:

• Polly Jean socks by MJ Kim (Steph’s project page here)

• March will be the “Month of Socks (and other stuff on the side)”

Miscellaneous:

• Steph was wearing her Herbivore shawl (Stephen West pattern).

• Stacie was wearing her Hitchhiker (Martina Behm pattern) and her Agree (1) shirt from Ravelry.

 Find us at:

Twitter: MustStashSheep & SeeStephKnit
Plurk: Must_Stash & SupaSteph
Google+: Stacie Freeflower & Supa Steph
Ravelry: Freeflower & SupaSteph
Facebook: Must Stash Emporium
Instagram: MustStashSheep
Ravelry: Must Stash Podcast Group

Twist Collective Winter 2012: What Would Must Stash Knit?

Twist Collective Winter 2012

The latest Twist Collective is out! As usual, this one is packed with more great knits and delightful articles by Franklin Habit, Clara Parks, and Amy Christophers just to mention a few.  We can't tell you everything we love about this offering but we do want to highlight some of our favorite pieces. 

Lavandula by Triona Murphy

Lavandula by Triona Murphy: A very feminine take on the classic cardigan, this particular pattern looks very knit-able and wearable. We both really like the feminine lace at the top of the bodice and down the sleeves and the 1x1 ribbing adds nice shaping without needing decreases or increases, but can be easily altered for someone who isn't as slender as the model. On the sample, the empire waist looks like it bisects the bust, which may be unflattering on certain body types, but we bet it's easy to adjust that. Steph thinks the yarn choice is beautiful and the tonal qualities of the yarn gives the lace some depth, though Stacie wonders if a solid would be an even better choice by allowing the lace to really pop.

Zenith by Linden Down

Zenith by Linden Down: This looks like your Everyday Cardigan but with *Zing*! We really like the all-over chevron pattern and this would become a favorite sweater as far as wearability. It is shown with a tie around the waist but one could easily add buttons or toggles. 

We both have a tendency to favor patterns that are knit in once piece versus seamed, but this sweater is lovely enough that we're willing to set aside that personal preference. That tie could potentially be a looong and boring knit, though, depending on your knitterly personality.

Granville by Fiona Ellis

Granville by Fiona Ellis: We love a good cabled sweater! Sometimes cables can add bulk, but somehow that's not the case with this sweater. It's fitted and flattering and while the cables look intricate, they don't weigh the sweater down. The hood seems slightly too shallow for our taste, but adding cable repeats to the bottom of the hood should be an easy fix. Also, zippers are intimidating. The yarn color paired with this sweater looks amazing -- it's bright and the cables really pop.

On Ravelry, the designer goes the extra step to recommend a particular finishing technique and gives a link to a free Craftsy class for visual aid. We appreciate these little helpful details.

Aleph by Hannah Cuviello

Aleph by Hannah Cuviello: Aleph would be a perfect choice if you wanted cables, but didn't want to knit something as intricate as Glanville. Just a few cables on the shoulder and one side would keep the knitting interesting but you still have quite a bit of plain stockinette to help you relax and zone out. It has functional pockets that are deep enough to actually keep your hands warm. The cables feed into the ribbing, which is a nice touch. Steph has reservations about the fact that it's knit bottom-up *and* has raglan shaping. Maybe someone can explain to her why designers choose this type of construction?

Luggala by Aine Ryan

Luggala by Aine Ryan: Oh, the lace details! The lace kangaroo pocket gives the illusion of a lighter sweater, even if that's not actually the case. Same with the lace cowl. Cowl sweaters can look heavy and almost too warm, but this particular lace cowl gives it an airier feeling. The color is gorgeous too, though an alpaca and silk blend yarn would not be appropriate for our climate. Also, neither of us do many pullover sweaters because we get so few times during our "winter" when we could wear one. But with the right yarn and the lighter lace cowl, this could be a smart choice.

Coesite by Rachel Coopey

Coesite by Rachel Coopey: This hat and cowl set looks so soft, and it probably is, since the yarn used is a merino, cashmere, and silk blend. It has lots of texture to it that is so subtle, it looks like stockinette until you examine the pictures closely. A matched set like this would make a perfect gift without too much time or yarn invested. Plus, we love a slouchy hat!! 

Yarn choice would be critical, since it's basically knit in a gauge similar to one you would use for socks. Anything hard wearing will make the cowl look too stiff, anything too soft or fuzzy could obscure the delicate baby cable and lace detail, not to mention the subtle textured fabric in the middle of the hat and cowl. The yarn used in the pattern is a perfect match, but, unfortunately, might be too pricey for some.

Whirlpool by Christina Harris

Whirlpool by Christina Harris: What a great fair isle vest! The shape and the small geometric patterning are particularly appealing. It looks like the colors are patterned in such a way that catching your floats would be unnecessary, which is always a plus.  

It could be hard to keep up steam on a project larger than socks in fingering weight yarn, but it's only a vest, not a full sweater. On the other hand, the gauge is something you would typically knit socks in. Wow!

And last but not least, how cool is Celestarium by Audry Nicklin? It's a pi shawl that utilizes yarn overs and beads to map out the night sky with the center being Polaris. It calls for a fingering weight yarn and since the bulk of it is stockinette, it would keep you warmer than a typical lace shawl would, and of course you get the "wow factor" of knitted constellations. 

Celestarium by Audry Nicklin

Stacie's Knitting: Too Much Going? Nah!

8 February 2013

I have a few several project on the needles at this time and I've made the intention to finish item UFO's (UnFinished Objects) from my "Area 51" instead of casting on new project willy-nilly. I've made pretty good strides in this direction and let me tell you what I have going at this time.

Our knitting group, SnB281, is hosting a shawl knit along (KAL) for the months of January and February and we choose Trousseau by Carol Fellers. I am knitting it in a beautiful bright caribbean blue by Vice Yarns in the Covet base which is a 2 ply 100% lace weight merino in a generous 750 yard put up. Trousseau is a lovely semi circular shawl with multiple sections of alternating lace that leans to the right and then to the left and so on. Each section gets progressively deeper and wider, of course, and it is gorgeous. However, I'm just not really into it at this time. I think my attention had been grabbed by a scrumptious pair of long socks and I may end up frogging this beautiful yarn to make something that suits it better. Vice reminds me of Wollmeise in its tight twist and I believe it will make texture pop. I will keep my eye out for a suitable pattern; let me know if you have a good suggestion.

About the long socks, I just finished knitting the Afterthought Heel  pattern by Laura Linneman in BrazenStitchery's Tardis sock in the Self Striping Sock base which is seriously yummy! It is a 2 ply 100% superwash merino and is bouncier and stretchier than most sock yarns with nylon! I simply love them. I'm using Knit Picks Stroll in Fiesta for the toes, heels and top of cuff. This is my first time to use Stroll and I am enjoying knitting with it. I will let you know how it holds up once I get the socks in use. They are currently blocking and I ended up knitting an 11.5" cuff and I still have yarn left over!

Pomme de Pin Cardigan  by Amy Christophers which is an all over pine cone lace cardigan in a natural 100% merino sport weight yarn by Kai Ranch has been on the needles since December 1st. I picked this yarn up for a steal from the Kid n Ewe fiber festival in Boerne last November and cast on almost immediately but I've stalled out on the sleeves. It is a nice yarn that came in generous put up hanks of 580+ yards each so at least there won't be as many ends to weave in.

A sweet friend of mine from knitting group knits most of her projects for other people. When she told me she was starting another charity blanket, I volunteered to knit a strip for her. Not surprisingly, four more generous knitters from our group offered their services as well! So, we all cast on last Saturday the Knit Textured Afghan and I have currently knit two of six squares. It is a very soothing knit and I'm so glad to be helping both a friend and a charity.

The last item that has taken my attention away from the Trousseau is an adaptation of the Tibetan Clouds Beaded Stole by Sivia Harding out of a luxurious skein of  Lorna's Laces in the Satsuma colorway  in the Helen's Lace base which is a really lovely lace weight 50/50 merino and silk yarn. This is a UFO that has languished since February 2012. I knit the center panel but instead of using the pattern as written I'm inserting a simple wheat lace pattern on two opposite sides to make short sleeves that will be seamed to make a shrug. Last week at knitting group, I came across a major tangle in the cake of yarn and set it aside, again. Hopefully, I can get this tangle straightened out quickly and I can resume knitting with this otherwise gorgeous yarn.

Once I finish the Pomme de Pin cardigan I will give myself permission to cast on a new pair of socks and the Blaithin Cardigan by Kate Davies or maybe the Champagne pullover by Thea Coleman as it is already getting warm here in Texas! As for the socks, I'm torn between several patterns: Skew, Twisted Spine, Show Off Stranded, Nine to Five, or Polly Jean. I have quite a bit of sock yarn that needs knitting, as you can imagine, and starting a new pair in February will help me get in the mood for the Month of Socks which will be March. I will knit socks and only socks for the whole month! maybe

What are you knitting?

*Note: all links are Ravelry links. If you don't have Ravelry, you might not be able to see them, sorry. And also, why in the world don't you have a Ravelry account yet?! Get one! It's life-changing!

Steph's "Finish it February (hypothetically speaking)"

The other day, I had the idea of having a theme for myself this month. "Finish it February." The (hypothetical) idea was to make some serious headway into projects that have spent too long on the needles. If I didn't actually finish a project for the month, at least I would be a bit closer.

The highest priority of "Finish it February" is a sweater for my husband that's been on the needles since December 2011. He asks about this sweater... oh, about once a week, on average. The frequency is directly related to 1.) how cold it is outside and 2.) how often I have a sweater of my own on the needles. 

The only other project I had in mind this month is a lace cardigan for myself. It's only been on the needles since September, but it would be a very nice cardigan to have for the early spring weather that seems to be happening these days.

So those are the two projects that will hopefully have most of my focus this month. I think I threw in the word "hypothetical" enough to give me an out. I could accomplish my goals if I set my mind to it and if I don't get distracted, but I might not have as much fun. And that's not what knitting is all about.

Speaking of distracted (and fun!), about 12 hours after I hypothetically declared "Finish it February", I cast on a new project. Jaywalker socks in a great self-striping yarn that I picked up at Kid 'N Ewe this past fall. You know, a little side treat to keep my slogging through all that sweater knitting.

*Note: all links are Ravelry links. If you don't have Ravelry, you might not be able to see them, sorry. And also, why in the world don't you have a Ravelry account yet?! Get one! It's life-changing!